There are several multi track recorders in the app store, but Meteor Multitrack by 4 Pockets Audio is my favorite. This multitrack recorder has effects, midi recording capabilities and more, offering in-app purchases to help you build your studio. They’ve even added specialty apps such as a vocal doubler just because I requested it. If you use Meteor and need an effect added, just email me. I’ll contact them on your behalf. Of course, for us to record music, we also require other apps such as Drums XD, iFretless Bass, Amplitube and Sampletank, but Meteor is in the top five.

I LOVE vocal effects and IK Multimedia’s VocaLive has a special place in my heart. This app features stomp box style pedals you can mix and match to create your own vocal sound with the ability to save all your combinations. The effects are fully programmable with as many features as a stand alone hardware vocal processor.

It is much more in depth than their EZ Voice App (Android), which is still a cool app for beginners.

Finally, TC Helicon released a version of their live effects from processors like VoiceLive and the VoiceTone Singles! I was super excited to get this app. It is a simple preset app to meet your needs. Not being a “looping” musicians, VoiceRack Effects serves me better than an app like VoiceJam Studio. And I can use it live in place of toting around my VoiceLive processor. This is THE perfect app for singers who have not ventured into purchasing a hardware vocal processor but would like to get their feet wet and learn about vocal effects. If you would like to “tweak” some effects, you can also purchase their VoiceJam app (not VoiceJam Studio) which has in-app purchased for their VoiceTone C1 and R1 pedals (pitch correction and reverb). Wow, digital versions of their amazing pedals at a fraction of the price. I’m sold!

Although not a “music” app, Movie Pro is actually one of my tops apps and every singer needs it. It is perfect to record your performances. I’ve actually used this app to record hundreds of vocal training video and I use it for Scott and I to record vocal performances.

Use this app to film your rehearsals and gigs to post to YouTube and share your musical experiences, as well as to record your vocal practice for self-critiquing your progress.

Final Word

So, welcome to the age of app engineering! Technology has changed so much in a matter of decade that you can now how to power of a multitrack recorder on your iPad, even more powerful than any home recording DAW on any PC back in 2005.

How do I know? My songwriting partner, Scott Stith and I record our songs on iPads using a variety of apps for multi-track recording, vocal and music effects, guitar cabinets, drums, bass, piano and synths, and more.

So, there you have it, five apps to get you recording your music, playing with vocal effects, and filming yourself. May your musical journey in the app world begin…

Jaime is not one to toot his own horn, so we’ll do it for him. He has his own fantastic App:

Singer’s Trainer and Multitool – it’s a “digital vocal coach” for vocal coaches and students alike with a variety of vocal training tools such as a tuner, metronome, stop watch, pitch wheel, vocal scale generator and more. There’s even a “glass shattering” game which improves intonation, for all of his MythBusters fans. Jaime said that his app has truly changed how he teaches voice (he uses it for all his lessons) and keeps him on his toes for his own vocal routines. If you need a vocal coach in your pocket, download Tuned XD to your iPhone!

My Reaction to This Week's Singing Competition Entry

Great job, Abigail. Nice phrasing, great voice, great start to a great future! I like that you move around on stage. But, since this is a critique, let me offer some advice. Though you did do a great job on stage moving and singing to your audience, you can pull them into your singing even more if you’d practice wearing the emotion of this song on your facial features. What I mean is to make sure you connect to the audience with your eyes and let them “see” the emotions you’re singing. It may be as simple as a slight look of pain as you dig into the chorus.

Speaking of the choruses, I can tell you have range and power. But I bet your voice would shine even more if we ‘centered’ those notes of the chorus just a bit more. What do I mean by centered? Floating right in the center of that pitch so effortlessly that the sound carries on the wind;) For example, when you sang the words, “Let me in” at the 2:33 minute mark, WOW, you nailed it and it sounded amazing. You were very centered in your notes and sang with lots of passion. Apply that same passion on every line of the chorus and I bet you sound even more amazing. For me, this means a little more downwards pressure in the abdominal region, sort of like when you get mad at your siblings and scream, “get out of my room!” It doesn’t hurt your voice and soars out of you so loud and effortlessly that you could shatter glass with your voice. Use this approach for those choruses and knock it out of the ballpark. Overall, I am VERY proud of you. Keep singing and shine, shine, shine!

Jaime Vendera is a Vocal Coach, world-renowned for his wineglass-shattering voice as seen on shows like MythBusters, Dr. Oz, and Super Human Showdown. He is a contributor to The Ultimate Guide to Singing and author of ‘Raise Your Voice’ 1 & 2, ‘The Ultimate Breathing Workout’ and the ‘Sing Out Loud’ series. He also runs the Vendera Vocal Academy. His new App, Tuned XD, is the ultimate multi-tool for musicians.